Last year, I published a post on the back alleys of Montreal but the pictures were all taken in the spring so it didn’t necessarily show them at their best. In my recent strolls, I made it a point to walk along the various back alleys. There was a time when these lanes were a paradise of concrete but in recent years, residents got together to green them to make it a more pleasant environment to live. Maybe one day all the back alleys will be green!

These photos were taken in an alley in the Villeray neighbourhood, between the streets of Henri-Julien and Drolet north of Faillon. This alley is considered a very good example of green alleys.

Des plantes grimpantes, des arbres, des bacs à fleurs colorés et des cordes à linge rendent cette ruelle très vivante. / Creepers, trees, colorful flower boxes and clotheslines make this back alley quite lively.Une vigne qui grimpe le long d’un escalier de secours. / A vine climbing up a fire escape.Possiblement le nom de tous les enfants qui habitent le long de cette portion de la ruelle. / Possibly the names of all the children living along this portion of the alley.Les cordes à linge sont encore omniprésentes dans les ruelles. / Clotheslines are still very much part of the landscape of back alleys.Un lavage tout en pastel! / A laundry all in pastel!